


Innocence

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: Psyche [4]
Category: Inspired by Alice: Madness Returns - Fandom, Original Work, Various AUs.
Genre: Creatures have invaded, Gen, Trippy, Vale of Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:09:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: Harrowing visions, dreams-turns out they're more real than I thought they were. But how am I here? And how is it so. . .peaceful?
Series: Psyche [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981306
Comments: 18
Kudos: 3





	1. The Dreamscape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MayariMoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayariMoon/gifts).



> Cw: Dolls. Slight body horror.

It all fades away.

All of it.

It's dark here. . .but it's not so bad.

Just-dodge the playing cards.

Their faces disappear before I can step on them, thank goodness.

I don't know where I'm going...I can see a light, though, past all of the floating, stray fish.

'Whoah-!'

-Or maybe not.

That's an awfully big army...looming over them all is a massive, tentacle-headed man with piercing, violet eyes.

Time to go-

I run backwards, away from that.

The unholy battle cries get fainter, and fainter.

Faintest when it becomes pitch-black.

. . . Where am I now-

'Oh'.

I know that place...

It's my house.

Well, it'll be nice to be home-but as soon as I touch the knob, the windows explode with blue fire!

'Aw, not that again-'

I back up.

The step creaks.

I think-I can see smoke-

-I turn away and run faster!!

Pieces of the pavement fall into nothing behind me-

I leap into water.

Now I'm wafting.

The liquid twists, and shimmers-

I surface.

I'm on a boat.

(-This isn't an Old Spice commercial I swear-)

It's bright here.

Leagues from me a second boat floats.

I see two familiar faces:

A blonde girl with curls, rabbit ears poking out of her hat.

Next to her, a tall, dark-haired woman.

Her hat is even taller, and a gear-shaped cutlass is by her side.

"Mystic! Ivy-"

I wave.

But a giant crest swells between us, and I lose view.

A small bolt, blue wings attached, alights on my nose.

I sneeze-

They fly into a spark in a blink.

I rub my nose.

-I become aware of another presence:

"-?"

"-Fancy meeting you here, isn't it?"

My smile slowly disappears. . .

The sky rumbles into ominousness.

My companion's become a crumbling, shadowy thing.

The river tosses, higher, higher-

Hands burst forth from the depths.

And I pitch out.


	2. Things That Run In The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was only a dream, thank goodness... Or was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Fear/panic, insomnia, drinking things, body horror. Some mention of food/wine. The dark.
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a tentative dialect.

I wake up, terrified of everything.

No sun, no moonlight.

I fell asleep on top of my bed again...I pick myself up.

My head hurts. . .I need more water.

‘What time is it?’

I check the square clock: ‘4:50 A.M.’

‘Ugh. . .that early?’

This is getting to be a disturbing trend.

I stand, blinking-

‘-Did I really set fire to-?’

Hard to believe I’d raced here in a panic only a while ago.

‘No water’.

I shake my empty bottle-

‘Great. . .’

I’m gonna have to raid my room mates’ Brita-for the second time this week-

‘Don’t make too much noise-’

And don’t trip and fall on the way out.

I quietly close the door behind me with a click.

I missed the Discord session.

Oh well. . . .

‘Who would believe…..’

I sigh.

I head over to the mini-fridge.

-Unlike mine, it  _ doesn’t  _ talk.

I pull open the door-

‘-Right’.

Frozen food, and contraband liters of alcohol stare back at me.

‘They keep it on the outside-’

I shut the door.

Colorful lights flicker softly along the rear wall, the edging to the floor, and the ceiling down the long hallway.

It makes for an oddly-magical effect, despite the usual gravity of the situation.

For a few moments, the only sound is pouring water.

I screw on the cap-

‘That’s better’.

I tuck it under my arm.

It’s cold-

When I do go back to bed, I’m still amazed by the illuminations of golden shadows across.

Students still up. . . .it wasn’t that unusual for me a year ago.

But change happens, as it always does.

I lie down.

Every car that passes by on the street leaves a kaleidoscope of red-and-white.

The only decoration on my blank walls. . .

I close my eyes.

**-Scratching.**

My eyes open.

‘What’s that-’

I sit up.

Marks on my window.

Something shining in the darkness.

‘-Huh-!?’

I feel a jolt, am I-

Actually seeing this-!?

It disappears.

“H-hey wait-” I say without thinking-

‘Oops-’

I don’t know-

I’m frozen in place, do I follow?

Or don’t I.

I have class-

What if it’s a short trip?

-But I don’t like to be out at night…

-What if I get hurt!?

. . .

. . .But it’s-

I grab my coat.

I don’t want to freeze-

I’m just thankful it’s not raining anywhere.

I push open the side door.

No one’s out in the hallway, but the laundry light is still on.

I hope I’m not too late-

-As is the way with most doors, I have to fit myself through the small gap.

I shiver, pull my sleeves lower.

I have nothing to jam it with.

-Except my shoe-

One shoe.

Wet grass.

The bottom of my foot is damp-

I shove the rubber toe in there, then run off.

-Albeit unevenly.

I scan the orange-blackness for another gleam.

Stars are out, diamond pinpricks.

They don’t help, though. . .

‘Where did you go-’

There’s a traffic bulb-

I stop by the edge of the road.

I can see the graveyard across the way.

Further down, the Student Center.

. . . . . .

‘This was a  _ really  _ stupid idea I should go back-’

My ‘rabbit’ should understand.

If he’s even a rabbit at all.

I hear-a weird sound.

Somebody-in a coat-is shuffling-

I try to take a wide berth.

The seam between neck and hat, is-a rat.

Red eyes glow-a mechanical jaw chatters-

The last time I’d seen-!

‘Ow, my shoulder-!?’

Another one.

The chattering gets louder.

I run into another-

I spin around, but, they’re everywhere!

Closing me into a circle-

I feel my panic rise.

‘Go-away-!!”

I shove at one, and stumble-

They  roar.

-A hand on my arm.

“Eh?”

It’s like they were never there.

The lady keeping me from tripping into the gravel looks concerned.

“Ye alrrigh’ there-?”

“-Who are you?”

“Grrizel MacFarrlane-’Ay rron a hotel, but I’m down on me luck”, she explains when I don’t reply.

“Migh’ ye know somebody tha’ cen help me?”

“Uhh-”

-I’m wishing I brought my phone.

I swear I’ve heard that name before-

-Noticing my indecision, she opens her hand:

“I’ll make it worth ye’rre while. . .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something weird's going on. If you can remember where she's from, have a cookie.


	3. Grizel MacFarlane

Alice, hmm…

always was a tuff nut te creck.

Neverr know what’s in that head

looks and acts a little differrent than I rremember.

. . . .-Least she tuk my coins

verry rrerre te find herr alone.

Wonderr what happened, nut that it’s any of my business…….


	4. A Rather Upsetting Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strangers are a mixed bag, aren't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Lots of body horror, brief dolls.

“Thenk ye dearr…”

I hold the door open so she can go in.

No one’s at the Front Desk, even though it’s well-lit.

I clutch at the coins in my hand-I only took them because it would have been rude not to.

‘Grizel MacFarlane…..’

-Wasn’t she  in  something?

I’m trying to think of that  _ and  _ focus on her too-

“Hope someone appearrs soon”.

“-Huh!?”

Her voice just went down, like, five octaves-Her plaid shawl rips.

Two, bat-like wings-

“Ms.-McFarlane-??”

She turns and  **roars.**

Rat-like muzzle, metal jaw distorting the screech-

Her eyes are like angry-red slits.

-She claws at me, once, twice.

I skitter backwards, knocking into a chair.

Cracks form in the ceiling, she’s too big for the building!!

-It shatters.

I duck and cover, only to be blown upwards.

She grasps for me, and snarls, but she grows smaller and smaller in my view.

‘Phew. . .’

Blue energy flows around me, the odd dresser, or jar-

A loose thread on my coat catches one, and I’m distracted before I can see it properly-

Gold piping.

Black tar creeping up from somewhere.

Doll faces, empty-socketed, and lifeless poke out.

‘Uhh-!?’

They clear. . .

‘What the-’

And I’m in space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will this be Wonderland?


	5. The Vale Of Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to . . . ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Heights, loud noises.

-I land in the river with a resounding SPLASH!!

I cough water, my coat billowing out around me like a mushroom, and re-surface. . .the jar is floating away-!!

I chase after it-

A magical, metallic, shimmer.

“This yours, Alice?”

They scoop it into the air neatly with their tail.

“Yeah-”

I swipe the droplets from my eyes.

“Rea. . .?”

She looks like a cat-I-I mean she  _ is  _ a cat-!?

The ears, the claws, the greenish dress-yellow irises behind ridged glasses.

“Is-Is that you-”

I step from the drink, and scuff my sopping heel on a rock-

“Well who else would I be?”

“Um...I don’t know”, I admit, “But...where am I? What happened-”

I pinch myself.

It hurts.

‘I’m not dreaming-!?’

“-Don’t ask me, you just randomly fell out of the sky!”

“Good point”.

-She puts the jar in my hands.

It weighs like, five pounds-

“Thanks-”

“No problem”.

She squints at it.

“-Huh. You’ve found yourself some Faerie Dust”.

“Really?”

I finally look at it: It’s like white sand.

“What does it do?”

“It lets you fly”.

“Oh”.

I try to pry the cap off.

I can’t.

“-Welp”.

She speaks.

I blush-

“Help please?”

I lift it and nearly drop it on her toe.

She hisses, hair bristling-

“Careful!”

“Sorry-!”

I struggle to keep it in my grip.

“-Anyway I wouldn’t un-cork it as is, you’ll be swept away”.

“...Oh”.

I feel kinda sheepish now-

“Thanks for telling me”.

“Welcome”.

She checks for any stray liquid particles on her skirt, and then melts into nothing, barely leaving a pale-yellow outline behind.

‘That was interesting’.

I peek further up the embankment.

Dominoes create bridges between waterfalls while glass bubbles ensconce winged coves, and tiny bolts flit suspended on butterfly wings.

-It’s so beautiful…

The giant, overhanging trees make me think of someone.

-But I couldn’t ever get  that  lucky.

Shaking my head, I begin the long trek.

It’s mild.

-Which is good, because I’ll dry out faster.

There are mushrooms as big as me, and checkered in bright colors.

Some are as small as my fingertip and charming wall-climbers.

-Weird, pale flowers turn into lamps when I go by.

I can catch flashes of bird song every so often, I still can’t believe I’m really here.

‘Compared to reality, this is a paradise’.

I shouldn’t stay long, though, people will wonder where I’ve been...if they’re not already doing that.

My mood starts to dampen.

‘I hope no one’s _too_ worried-’

I don’t even know how they’d get here.

I don’t even know how  I  got here-

‘I remember where she’s from’.

Everlock Horror Story.

The Evil Scottish Hotel Lady-

I almost drop the jar again!

‘But-but--how---!!??’

-It shouldn’t have been possible…

‘Maybe it’s just a coincidence?’

That they have the same name.

And they both own a hotel.

And they resemble those  _ Christmas  _ rats-!!

-I lose my footing.

“Whoooahhh-!??”

I slide down the slippery slope and land in a stream at the bottom.

‘Darn it-!’

My tailbone hurts.

I look for my jar-

-It’s being swept away!!

“Oh no-!!”

I rush after it, feet splashing.

My tights become soaked in no time.

“Come back-”

-I fit myself between an outcropping and a hard place, when I look up.

The stone forms a shape of a girl with her eyes closed.

That’s where the water’s flowing in from. . .

‘Hey wait a minute, she looks like  me’.

Shock ripples through my veins-

‘I don’t get it’.

I  _ just  _ arrived-

‘There’s no way. . .’

-Something knocks solidly against a huge, glass marble.

‘-The jar-!!’

I keep splashing along-

‘I can’t lose you, I need you to fly back-’

I try to grab it, but the cover’s too wet.

My fingers slide off as if it’s made of butter.

I wind up running to the top of a hill.

A strangely-sweet scent fills my nostrils.

I’m at a cliff.

‘Drink Me’.

A big bottle is suspended from nowhere by purple string.

Continuous violet liquid pours into a deep-looking pool.

Funny thing about the purple balloons. . .

-Uh but how am I supposed to reach it?

The river’s bubbling in the distance, I  _ know  _ I’m going in the right direction-

I peer over the edge.

‘-I could  _ probably  _ climb down that?’

Never done it without a harness in...ever.

Oh boy. . .

I hesitantly sit down, legs dangling in space.

I nudge for good bites to slip my toe into.

When I’ve gotten one satisfactorily settled, I feel with my other one.

‘Okay-’

I try to-crouch-into-it-

My hands white-knuckle as I grip the grass.

‘Okay-you’ve got it-’

I need-to move my foot-

For a dizzying moment, I feel nothing.

‘Eek-’

I  _ narrowly _ find it-until it cracks.

‘Oh no’.

I cling on-

‘Okay okay okay-’

I feel for another.

-Something squishy bumps into my ankle.

For some reason my brilliant brain decides it must be a helpful patch of land, and-

**POP!**

I jolt-

A shadow swallows me up.

  
  


I lift onto my elbow. . .

‘I’m lucky I didn’t break my neck’.

I blink as my eyes adjust.

The clearing’s been shrouded in darkness.

The balloons glow neon-

“Hello?”

Footsteps.

Someone comes from the gloom, blue hair, red outfit, I think I’ve seen them before, too-

I spot the bells, the mallet, and I know it for certain.

“C.P.?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : D


	6. Forest Of Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Must find the jar-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Drinking, nausea/vomiting, blood.

“Oh, you know me already”.

I swallow, and nod-

‘He needs a drink of water’.

“Lucky you”.

-He conjures up another balloon.

This Dream Demon from a Horror Tale-

“-No thank you”.

I brace myself-

“-Not an animal fan?”

“I’m actually more interested in that-”

I point to the still-gushing, purple bottle.

“‘Drink Me’”.

He grins.

“Interested in a little shrinking, eh?”

“I don’t know, I’m just looking for my jar”.

“Jar?”

“I dropped it in the river”.

“Oops”.

-He doesn’t sound too broken up about that.

“Yeah…”

I go to slip past him-

“-”

It’s a dead end.

“Oh”.

He just smiles…………..

-I hesitantly do a U-turn, and enter the pool.

Violet water laps at my ankles.

I inhale.

Lavenders and roses-

And I haven’t smelt either in my life.

I look behind me.

He’s just watching. . . .

I carefully turn back.

Wade deeper.

My head lightly spins.

Is it just me or are the trees...getting bigger?

The water laps at my shins.

I poke at my temple, woozily. . . .

‘Yeah, they’re definitely bigger-’

I duck my head under the flowing shower.

Everything is so much bigger.

-For one horrifying moment, I’m afraid I’ll disappear-

But it stops...and I relax….

And I see the button hole at the base of the cliff, an open lock I can sneak through-

“Oh wow-”

“Wild, isn’t it?”

His voice  booms from down here.

“Uh-huh”.

I wade out.

‘Oof-It’s gonna be a long walk-’

“Need a hand?”

The evil jester crouches-

“Nope, I’m good”, I squeak.

And I start power-walking.

As soon as I reach the bank, I begin to sprint-I run out of breath halfway through, and resort to loping.

‘Phew. . .I have no idea how this works’.

I step into the tiny tunnel.

“Ooh…”

Delicate roots and pebbled earth surround me.

I’m a bit light-headed from the mingling of flower and soil-

‘Let’s not faint in here, please-’

Though curiously enough, I’ve never fainted out of the blue before.

It runs on for a short bit, and then boom: I’m outside.

I inhale of the clean air deeply.

The trees are getting smaller.

‘How handy is that?’

-I then vomit all my guts out into a nearby bush, but it’s fine.

I stand-up-straight-It’s all fine.

I wipe my mouth with a leaf.

‘Oof. . .I’m fine - - - ‘

Just-just a  _ little  _ off-

‘Now where’s that river?’

-I almost didn’t realize it was a giant slug.

The enormous rainbow swirl inches from my eyes nearly throws me for a loop.

‘Whoahh-’

I back into a pepper puff plant.

It blows red powder all over me-

I sneeze and cough…

‘Ouch-’

My eyesight was blurry.

‘H-huh!?’

All I can see is a smudged blur.

‘Uh. . .Oh no-’

I stand there for a second, not sure what to do.

“Does. . .”

My voice sounds scratchy, so I start again:

“Does anyone know where the river is?”

-I hear a loud BOOM!!

“Whoah-”

I’m  _ shaken- _

The world rattles, and I don’t know  _ which  _ way is up-

Smooth.

My cheek is lying on-something smooth.

I pick myself up-

‘What is this?’

I feel around it.

‘Is it-a giant shell?’

Where’s the way out!?

I must have fallen down here-

“HELLO!??”

-Eep, my own voice scares me.

“. . .”

A long stalk pokes into me.

-Actually two.

Bulbous white and black orbs-

‘Eyes-?’

A head, no, neck-

No-

“Who-Who are you-”

I jump, as my shoulder is nudged.

Nostrils flare-

Red particles float away from my vision in droves.

I can kind-of see clearer?

“Thank you?”

-An eye-stalk thumps me on the head.

“Ow-”

My knees buckle-

But I’m caught by the other one.

Air whooshes up-

Twining long, and green.

A slide-

“Where does this go?” I ask.

But I’m just neatly set down-

“Um...okay-”

I nervously glance around.

I can’t tell how high we are-

“Bye-!?”

I’m pushed on my way.

Childhood nostalgia.

The open breeze on my face feels so nice……..

I’m spinning as roses fly.

Faint laughter echoes in my ears.

Is it mine?

Or just a memory?

-It ends abruptly when I splat in something thick.

Coppery. . .tang-

“-Are you  **kidding** me? Son of a-”

-Is that  my  voice?

I flounder upright-

I want to heave again but this is  _ stranger-!! _

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!!!”

‘What wasn’t?’

I enter the clearing.

A draconian, sprawling shape, is  **surrounded** by a river of blood.

At its elongated feet, stands a girl roughly my height.

In a stained, blue dress.

Carrying a giant mallet-

She turns to me, an angry look on her mouth.

Purple eyes.

“. . . C.P.-!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite the twist, huh?


	7. Forces Of Corruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not-so-idyllic anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Fantasy violence, tiny blood. Brief mention food. Little body horror. Monster death. Drink. Heights.

“What happened!?”

  


-That’s really all I can think of to say.

  


“Stupid Faerie Dust-!!”

  


He kicks at something, and it shatters.

I squint-

A...piece of loose glass?

“You found it?”

“‘Found it’?” he scoffs-

“I tried to  take  it! Until it blew up in my face…”

-I realize that’s what I’d heard.

“But...why did it-?”

“-Because  _ apparently  _ it likes you”.

He spins around, annoyed.

“I thought I could use it to  _ finally  _ get out of here”.

“You don’t like it?”

. . .He gives this some thought.

“...It reminds me of home a  _ little _ ”, he admits, “But it’s not  nearly  as grotesque enough for me”.

“Oh”.

I rub my arm awkwardly-

“Um…”

I can already tell there is a raised eyebrow, waiting for me to talk.

“Are you like, the guardian, or-?”

“So you figured it out”.

He balances his mallet onto his shoulder-

“Yeah-there’s one per zone”.

“What about Rea, then?”

“Who?”

  


‘-He doesn’t know?’

  


“There was this nice cat-girl...reminded me of...someone. . .”

-The more I speak, the more clueless he looks.

“Don’t know her. . .”

He sighs.

“Dang”.

Scuffs at the red gunk-

“So much for this river”.

  
  


I wait there a little longer.

I’m...not sure what to do-

‘Should I just leave him alone?’

-I mean, there must be a way to fix that…

But I also need to find out. . .

“Do you...have any idea what this place is?”

“You made it, kid, how would I have the answers?”

My heart sinks….

“But. . .I don’t have them, either-”

“Then tough luck”.

-I never knew I could sound so hard…

“I can’t help you”.

  
  


. . . . .I hang around, until I  _ can’t _ stand the awkwardness anymore.

As I shuffle past, I feel like I ought to do or say. . .offer. . .

But he probably doesn’t know how to undo it, himself.

So I end up, just leaving.

  


‘That could’ve gone better. . .’

Man...I’ve gotta speak up more.

It’s something I’ve had trouble with most of my lift.

Though sometimes, I  _ think  _ I’ve gotten better-

I push aside a few smaller shells, and enter a clearing.

‘Ewww. . .’

Black goop rests in puddles.

‘What is  **that!?’**

It does  not  look like ink.

  


The sky rumbles.

  


“Whoahh-”

I’m rattling again-

I hold my arms out for balance!!

The black heaps coneal. . .

A strangely-distorted cry rips through the air.

It’s a weird-looking gloopy child with a baby’s doll face, spindly limbs, and copper piping poking from their brain.

‘What the-!?’

They vaguely remind me of what I saw down the rabbit hole-

Coming directly at me, I hastily throw up my arms-

‘Have-to-remember-self-defense-quick-’

A stinging pain up my arm.

I wince, my elbow whacking off the hard plastic.

They yelp, a crack appearing on their cheek-

‘-Wait, really?’

A crack. . .

I grasp at their head, and _slam_ it onto my knee.

-Another sharp cry.

More cracks.

Made for a mildly-bizarre effect.

Spider-webbing across the face-

They flail, pitching me suddenly to the dirt.

Slurping noises.

My original attacker is about to pick up friends-

I kick out.

Plastic finally crushes, a death rattle on the wind as the mass collapses.

-It’s only in hindsight I feel bad.

They  _ are  _ kinda cute...if they aren’t currently also rushing at me.

I’m torn between trying to talk to them, and defending.

-I try to zip around them.

But the only exit through the hollow is blocked by giant roots.

‘Crap’.

Arms beat at my back-

I fall onto my knees.

“Ouch-!”

My shoulder aches when I bring it up-

“Stop that-”

Rubbery growling in my ears.

I fling out my hands, and they burn.

The  **shrieking-**

Pale-blue fire melts them right to cinders.

Pipes rusting away. . .

I stare at my palms.

‘How. . .’

I don’t  _ actually  _ own that power…..It was just something I’d made up, ages and ages ago.

First at the kiosk, now here.

Debris showers onto my head.

I gasp and scramble to avoid it!

The roots are moving-

  


I can’t believe any of this.

  


I duck under the newly-cleared opening.

  
  


The sun doesn’t penetrate here as easily.

My feet clack over dominoes embedded in the earth.

A pink fungus tunnels out of the ground on a spring.

-Well...if that’s the only route up the cliff. . .

I am not prepared-!!??

Every trampoline in the world has nothing on this one-my stomach flips with the height!!

I’m practically above the treetops-flutters make me wonder if I’ve swallowed a dozen butterflies.

‘How do I-’

Get down.

I plummet-

“A A A A A HHH-!!?”

I soar past shells entwined in cliff sides. . .

-You know, I’m starting to not fall very fast.

It’s kinda pleasant to ‘fly’ like this…

My heart rate slows its persistent pulse in my neck-

A cottage comes up to meet me.

Candied shutters, and caramel door.

I flop in a heap on the front, marzipan step.

‘Oof . . . .’

I get up.

I knock?

“-Hello?”

A woman with long, brown hair appears to greet me.

Long, black dress-

She has a Southern accent, and that’s all I know.

‘-Hey wait, that  _ also  _ sounds familiar. . .’

“Hi…”

I brush some leaves out of my hair.

“Sorry to drop in-”

“Stranger events have happened”.

She smiles.

“If you need new garments, I have some cleaner-”

“No, no, I’m okay-”

‘Isn’t she-’

“. . .Aren’t you a witch?”

“Goodness! You must be very perceptive. . .”

I try not to feel too nervous.

“You’re far away from the Coven, aren’t you?”

“-You think I might take you to be her new host?”

“I’d-certainly hope not-”

“Good”.

The smell of something cooking wafts through the crack in the open door, and into my nose.

“It’s already been done with anyways, I’m sure you remember that”.

I nod.

‘Poor Cyrille…’

“Are you lost?”

“Yes-” I exclaim, startled, “But how did you-”

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around”.

She taps her chin.

“Say, I  _ could  _ direct you-”

“Could you?”

“I only need a pig snout in return”.

She tilts her head.

“I heard one out back-but my stew is delicate, and not easy to leave alone”.

“Okay-”

“I can cast a protective charm on you, if you would like”.

“-I think I’ll be okay”.

I’m not sure I’m gonna trust her just yet.

“What do you want it for?”

“It’d be nice to have a surplus over the freezing Winter”.

“I can see that-”

I draw in a hopefully-unnoticeable breath.

“I’ll check if it’s there”.

“Thank you”.

-She hands me a wooden, crank device.

“The Insidious Ruin in these parts can be rather persistent, but it’s the Bolterflies who swarm and devour”.

I gulp.

“Insidious Ruin?”

“They bear an odd resemblance to dolls”.

She wrinkles her nose.

“They’ve been showing up more and more…”

“Huh. Strange”.

-The creepy-adorable critters I just got done fighting now have a name.

  
  


I walk by the gumdrop-studded house, a little apprehensive of what I’ll find.

Or even if the weapon will work-

‘Is it a-?’

Cooking tool?

Is that what a grinder is?

I experimentally twist the crank, and pepper shoots out the end.

I sneeze.

‘Well if this is anything like Madness Returns-’

Once I make the snout mirror me, it should float right to her.

‘I should ask about C.P.’s affliction, too-’

Probably when I get back.

‘Yeah’.

It’s only fair…

It’s peaceful, which I wasn’t expecting.

Pretty trees, a steep embankment.

Some water-

‘Wait. . .What are those-’

-They just fall in from the sky like rain!?

Bolts, screws, gears, clumped all together in bronze.

A harsh buzzing disperses the calm atmosphere.

I brandish the grinder-

Insects with delicately-veined wings leave the nests.

‘Those must be the Bolterflies-!!’

They swoop over to me super-fast, attaching to my waist.

“Ow-!!”

Their edges are sharp, and they  _ nick- _

I frantically crank.

Shattering metal blows in my ear drums.

I shake off the others, aim erratic.

I manage to smash one, and then miss five times-

On the sixth one, a scratch rips over my eye.

-I clamp my hand over it on reflex, and I’m awash with nerves.

But everything is quiet.

  


. . .

  


The nest produces three more.

I crank until it locks-

One, down.

I dodge an inflamed charge, and frantically knock on the wood.

The pepper blockage spurts in chunks.

I point it at the jumble of cast-offs.

A gear falls.

I keep it up, but I only scatter a few bolts.

I cry out as something blunt hits my spine-

I can’t do anything for a few seconds.

-When I’m finally able to collapse it in full, I have five stragglers-

I spin in a circle, firing.

Three out, two left.

One with blood on it worse than the other.

I pepper them into parts in short order.

I breathe-

‘Can I relax now-!?’

Buzzing.

I groan-

It’s up higher, so I didn’t notice it before-

But it’s there.

A  _ second  _ nest.

With its own, three launchers.

I limp up the embankment.

They have to fly to get to me-

I pick off one.

I try to chip away at it with my free time-a few rivets clank.

-No. 2 swerves up in my grill, and I stumble-!

I have to break it-

I don’t realize I’m panic-cranking until glass shards pepper my arms.

There’s a last one-

I bash it into the ground with the thick, wood base.

-It twitches.

I bash it again-

Three more are released from the nest.

  


I struggle to aim the dented device-

  


A mallet  **flattens** the heck out of it.

The clattering is  _ immense- _

One sweep of purple flame later, and the three bugs are melted scrap.

  


I blink in shock-

  


-Something pink wafts in from the corner of my vision.

“Don’t just stand there, get it!!” C.P. yells.

-I fumble with the device--

The backfiring fills the air with sneezable dust.

The fluttering snout’s nose twitches and then swells.

And swells. . .

(And snuffles-)

  


K- **CHOO**

  


A light sparkle surrounds it, and it banks toward an opening butterscotch window.

I sink to my knees-

Hopping.

“Geez, you’re really banged up”.

“. . .You’re really here?”

“I know-I’m amazed at myself too”.

He holds out a hand, and pulls me to standing.

“But this wasn’t exactly planned--” he huffs.

“I figured ol’ Circe would know what to do”.

“-So she  _ is  _ Circe Jones!?”

“Why are  you  sounding all un-confident?”

He gives a weird look.

-I feel like I’ve seen it before….

“You’re sure, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. . .”

  


‘First Everlock Horror Story, now Lady Of The Coven’.

  


-I had even  **less** reason to trust her.

  
  


“Over here”.

He’d led me down by the waterfall, and pushed around a few bushes.

A pretty, purple flower bloomed-

But I didn’t like the looks of the grabby-hands in the middle.

“. . .What’s that-”

“More shrink potion-they grow everywhere outside of that pond”.

“...They do?”

“What’s the matter?”

He’d picked up on my apprehension-

“This can restore wounds, too-”

“How do you know?”

“-What? As much as I’d  _ love  _ to be infallible, I’m not….”

“. . .I don’t like the hands”.

“-They just pull you in--”

I nod-

“I don’t-really want to touch them...though. . . . . .”

He stares at me for a while.

“It’s your call”.

  
  


I peep in the Front Door.

The pig snout’s perched on a plate-

“You’ve returned-you’ve done quite well-”

She knocks on the wall twice, and a tiny button door opens.

“You’ll find the Railway through there”.

“Thank you…”

Now to ask about that  _ other  _ thing.

I’m about to-

“Hello, witch”.

C.P. walks in.

“You’ve finally gone and gotten yourself hexed”.

  


She doesn’t seem surprised in the slightest.

  


“Playing around with more Faerie Dust?”

He half-huffs, half-blushes.

-I sidle to the door…

“Just find a counter-spell or whatever will you?...Please….”

She shakes her head.

“You’ll never learn”.

I quickly wave, unsure if he saw it or not.

“-You’ll need this dear, before you go…”

Extra purple juice.

“Thanks. . .”

  
  


I ache all over.

But she said the Railway wasn’t too far from here-

I forgot to return the crank.

‘Oh well…’

I hear more snuffling.

I raise the grinder-

A few short twists, and a K-CHO **_OOO_ ** booms through the air.

A line of floating dominoes creates a bridge between two ways.

I gulp in air, and climb through the sitting dice.

I’ve popped up to full-size-

I still have a lot more of the potion left.

I jump hesitantly.

I land.

One step...in front of. . . . .the other-

I  will  make it home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Wonderland.....


	8. Looking Glass Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is it falling apart-!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Body horror, worms, fantasy violence. Drink, drinking.

At the end of the first path, I have to bring another one to me.

Thankfully, beating wings aren’t too far away.

Crank it five times, and-

Two groups, double domino.

Ooh. . .

I don’t know if I can make that distance.

But I try it anyway-I narrowly make it, my heel slips off.

I windmill-

I barely hop into a more stable position.

Hand to my chest, that was almost fatal-

A moving platform.

‘Oh no. . .’

Can I make  _ that  _ one?

I wait until I’ve sufficiently calmed down.

Leap!!

I land weird, and hang onto it with both arms-

‘Don’t let go don’t let go don’t let go’.

I haul myself on top, off-balance by the constant sideways motion.

Water cascades onto my head, and I splutter.

‘Just one more jump-!!’

My feet hurt-

‘Just one more jump’.

But the timing is making me nervous-

I watch it for a while, scared I’ll lose my nerve.

I jump.

I crumple in a heap.

‘Ow...ouch-’

I groggily lift my head-

‘Did I make it?’

I must have-

Black tar streaks stain the rock, and there’s  _ no  _ river here anymore.

I haul myself up.

The last statue of the girl had water, then blood.

This one drips tears of worms.

They congeal as they splat, and squeak.

I’m horrified-

‘What  _ are  _ they-!?’

What is that-

‘Uh-’

Once again, I’m torn.

“Hello-?”

They inch nearer-

“Are you friendly?”

The nearest critter launches at me.

I’m knocked,  _ flat- _

My skin  _ burns- _

It feels like the water from that dream.

I reach for the crank.

My ankle sears as it’s glommed onto-

I flick the handle until my grabber implodes with an unholy scree.

-From there, I dispatch the next two.

-It is deceptively easy to do...I wait for a catch.

There isn’t any.

  
  


Scraping the gunk from my tights with a stick, I move onward.

‘That was disgusting-’

-A SMASH from behind me!??

“Gotta watch your back!”

C.P.’s flame is going off.

Black ooze trickles beneath the mallet-

“-You’re cured?”

“She said it’d take a while to work”.

He sighs.

“She better not be lying to me. But anyway-”

He nods to the split between outcroppings ahead.

“How are you gonna negotiate that?”

“Uhh…”

“You honestly didn’t notice?”

He pulls aside some thick clouds.

A rockway. . .walk-way-?

“For somebody who made her own world, you seem to legit know nothing about it”.

  
  


I thank him, and start up.

“How come you’re being so helpful?”

“I’m not-you’re a bad luck charm”, he retorts, “For me, anyway…”

I shrug.

“That’s fair”.

-But I double back.

“What is it now?”

“Do you know what those were?”

“Slithering Ruin”.

He shivers.

**“Parasites”.**

My stomach crawls.

“-There was more than that one-just thought you should know-”

  
  


I wipe my sweaty hands on my dress.

‘Ew, ew, ew-’

It used to be so pretty here…

I know the real world’s dangerous, but I don’t like the implications-

As I walk, the world  _ shakes. _

I stumble into the smooth wall-

Across from me, the cliffs crumble away, replaced by blowing geysers of thick, blackish-red lava.

The intense heat reaches over here.

‘Yikes-’

I tiptoe along-

The clear, blue sky is churning into murky, orange soup.

I make it to the other side, and solid ground.

The treeline in front of me crunches, and snaps.

-They sink into a pit, as I watch.

The spray of leaves-

‘What’s happening!?’

Luckily, the path is still clear-

I rush down the narrow strip of land, even  _ more  _ trees collapsing right and left!!

‘Looking Glass Railway’, a gilded sign proclaims-

The station underneath it holds a locomotive faintly glittering with jade light.

The creamy balloon billowing out around it-

“Wait-” I cry-

“Wait for me-!!”

I even wave.

-But the whole axis of the ground shifts below me, and it sli-i-i-i-des off track.

“No!!”

The balloon takes to the air, and it kicks up, high, high into the horizon.

Toward a pale, sickly sun-

“No no no no no-”

I push myself up from all fours and run to the station!!

Chunks of falling cliff strike the train, and bear it down.

It’s gone.

-An unearthly whistle blows-

From the opposite direction, a different train arrives:

Black metal, and red fire blazes.

It sends on-rushes of inferno in my direction, scorching the amber rock into pieces.

Me  _ and  _ the infrastructure are tossed into the air, and swept into a mine shaft-

B O O M

  
  
  


I bump off the narrow rails, and slide down the slick diamond.

The gap we caved through has been completely filled-minus a few small holes here and there.

Patches of infernal light still escape.

I land with a thump at the bottom of the mountainous pile.

“Owch. . .”

My world spins-

I focus on bringing air in, then out of my lungs.

-I sit up, stand. . . .

There’s an exit in the distance, a tunnel-

I feel like a zombie.

It’s taking me forever to reach it.

More rumbles.

Dust trails trickle. . .

I swat away the power.

I think of the two left behind-

‘Are they gonna be okay?’

. . . .I’m not sure.

But someone’s been building here.

Brick-red cliffs.

Teapot cities and cups lining the mesas.

Sand flits into my face, and I rub at gritty eyes.

My coat is torn-

“Intruder-!”

“Intruder-”

Green, goblin-like soldiers come barreling into the plain, forks, and steel shields, at the ready.

“W-Wait-!!”

I hold my arms out.

A gusting, blue gale causes them to scamper back.

“Wait-no-stop that-”

I shake my hands.

They crackle into fiery gloves, and rapidly crawl up my arms.

“She’s a witch!”

“No, I’m Alice-”

“Alice?”

They exclaim doubtfully.

“-She can’t do anything to us!!” 

Another proudly proclaims, “You can’t ignite steel-”

Or sand.

Can you-?

“I just want to pass through-”

“Put out that fire!”

I mentally tell it to-

They circle.

Spoons scooping up terrain-

A potential flame sheet.

“I gotta go home-”

I don’t  _ want  _ to hurt them, I think they’re just trying to do their job!

My hands still flicker, even though they’re quiet now, my ‘Fight-or-Flight’ is blaring big time.

“-Can you put those down-Please-”

I’m prodded slightly.

“Come along-”

I let them herd me toward their city.

-With a ‘thud’, extra guards plunk down a ramp-

One one wall, a mechanical device leans.

A skeleton resides within the seat-

“What’s that?”

I tentatively ask.

“Old tech”, someone shrugs, “They used to run on life force”.

I grimace.

‘Poor person. . .’

The bodies in front of me part, and I’m pushed into an over-turned goblet.

I bump my head off the low ceiling-

‘Ow!’

I just have enough space to crouch.

Outside, they discuss:

“What should we do?”

“We must warn the Masters-”

‘Masters?’

I lean in to hear better:

“The Alice Monster-”

“It could take  _ days  _ to get word back!!”

I shift uncomfortably-

My knees are complaining because I sit like so that often.

‘What are they gonna do?’

“We can’t keep her-She’ll burn our village down!”

“We must  _ do  _ something-”

-Tapping.

‘Huh?’

I turn-

Sizzling.

Someone or something is burning a sphere-

The red outline gleams in hot fluid.

I gingerly poke at it.

It falls to the sparse vegetation, and shatters.

I uncork my bottle-

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what-”

“I thought that was you!!”

-While they argue and debate, I shrink.

My mouth tastes like candied lavenders and chocolate.

I creep through the hole, and spot a line of steaming liquid-

‘Tea?’

It’d always been a bit too bitter for my taste-

I grow to normal height.

I start climbing-

I don’t think about anything else.

My heartbeat is in my ears-

“Hey!!”

“She’s up there-”

I don’t look back-

I don’t look back.

No matter how scared I am, I  **won’t** look back-

Fork tines smack under my feet.

I jump-

Sand showers-

I accidentally inhale some and choke-

I practically fish-flop over the edge.

I land  _ hard  _ in the midst of those handsy-purple flowers--

I shudder-

‘Where’s my bottle-’

I fumble for it-

‘Huh-!!??’

The drips hang in mid-air-

Over a chasm!!??

‘How in the-’

They’re no longer like giant lakes.

So whoever’s leaving them is either carrying around a tiny teapot,  _ or- _

I hesitantly stick my foot out.

‘-What?’

Something-was--there---!!

I step onto it.

‘An invisible bridge!?’

Thank goodness I knew where to do!

I begin to speed up-

“After her!”

“She’s about to reach the Cable-”

Footsteps running after me.

I can’t let up for a second-

The mesas give to green stars.

Iron, raised platform, I  _ sprint  _ for it-

I thud up the thin stairs.

A loud horn rings through the air.

I swear my ears pick up on a tiny ‘thud’.

‘Where to now-’

I frantically look ahead-

A hatted castle in the distance, wayward gears simply floating. . .everything is floating.

Shrouded in red mist-

I can faintly catch the ‘tick-tock’ from here.

-Or maybe that’s just the cadence of pursuers coming behind me-

‘Fire-’

I lift my hands.

Gloves of flame.

‘I don’t know if I have good chances--’

-A metallic clunking.

A me-sized teapot, barreling in-

I’m barely able to move aside in time!!

-The door revolves open.

I run in.

Something thunks in the corner, but I don’t think anything of it-

The door revolves closed.

-Fork tines bash off the plastic.

Spoons bang.

Muffled shouts.

I don’t dare breathe until I’m spun up, up, and away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Safe. . . .for now. Happy Halloween!!


	9. A New Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mad Hatter. . .? (What about them?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Nothing, I don't think.

I slump to the floor.

“Phew…!!”

-The cable car moves at an awfully fast clip, but I appreciate the few, precious seconds I have to breathe.

‘It’s destroyed’.

I swallow-

I start trembling slightly.

Now that the ordeal is over-

‘Why doesn’t it ever last?’

A golden outline.

“Rea!”

“-Oh good, you’re alive-”

“And you too-”

“A cat has nine lives, you don’t have to worry about me”.

She flicks her tail.

“You know, I never thought of you as a Harbinger of Doom”.

“. . .Me neither. Usually-”

I can see the Main Clock Face of the castle getting nearer over her shoulder.

Sometimes, gears swoop by-

“-But I wouldn’t want a world I made _destroyed-”_

I shake my head.

“I _really_ don’t know what’s going on”.

“I kind-of figured that”.

A knowing gleam in her glowing eyes.

“Lucky you, we’ve entered the Hatter’s Domain”.

‘The Hatter-’

I remember her-

“You mean Ivy, right?”

She shakes  _ her  _ head.

“If anyone’ll know  _ anything  _ about you and why this has happened, it’ll be him”.

-It takes me five minutes to register what she’s said.

“---Did you just sa-”

-We’re  **bumped.**

“Ow-”

“-Eesh, Man, those bugs don’t like you very much, do they?”

“-Bolterflies-!!??”

-We’re jolted,  **again-**

“I  _ certainly  _ hope you’re armed”.

I fumble for my grinder-

A  **third** hit.

I lose my grip, as we dip.

It rolls into the farthest-away-corner-

“-Darn!”

“-Yeah, you’re gonna crash”.

She starts to fade out-

“Wait!” I cry-

“Sorry, I gotta bounce-”

And she’s gone.

And the wall is coming  **right** up to meet me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new world is almost upon us-


	10. The Hatter's Domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where am I. . .?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw: Implied injury, heights, drinking things. Brief mention nausea.

.

.

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


CRAAASSHHH-

Stone and iron twirl around me.

Black-and-white monochrome blur.

I hit my head

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


-The hissing of. . .steam. . .

My eyelids...flutter-

‘Five...more...minutes-’

**_Cold,_ ** shaking at me-

“-!!??”

I whack my forehead off metal.

“Ow-!!”

CLUNK!!

I blink the stars away.

The first thing I notice is the wreck.

The red plastic’s been cracked-up worse than a dropped, broken cup.

Rubble is strewn everywhere, and air whooshes in through the jagged hole I left behind in the outer breach.

‘Where’d the bolterflies go?’

A weird thing to wonder at a time like this, I know. . .

‘I guess they flew away’.

-But what woke me-?

I scan the corridor in a haze-

‘-What the-’

They are no bigger than my shin.

This little, bronze figure with a tea pot for a head.

“...Did you wake me up?”

They don’t speak.

“-Did you leave me those trails?”

They still don’t speak.

“...Can you talk?”

Tea drips from their nose.

“Um. . .okay”.

I carefully sit up.

The ends of my coat have become shredded, and my tights are torn.

“Do you know where the Mad Hatter is?”

-They come a little closer, and tug lightly on my arm.

‘-I’m gonna call that a yes?’

I try to rise-

“Ow-!”

I clutch at my shoulder. . .my ribs-!!

“Owowow-”

All of the punishment is swiftly catching up to me.

The teapot nudges over a bottle-

‘This can restore wounds, too’.

I uncork it, and drink.

  
  


-I shrink and curl up, letting the potion work out the kinks.

The teapot plunks themselves down beside me, and waits.

When I’m feeling less likely to pain-vomit, I let myself grow-

I stand up.

The bottle’s completely empty now…

I still keep it on me, anyway.

“Okay. . .”

Chains run the length of the room.

A vent blows humid air-can’t go forward, gear work blocks the rest of the tower.

“Need a hang up, or-?”

They look away.

I wonder why.

-They jump in the air flow like it’s nothing, and float out of my sight.

‘Gulp, my turn-’

I lift a foot.

“Wh-Whooah-!!??”

I’m buoyed upward so fast-!!??

I panic-reach for something, anything-

I grasp the jagged hole edge, scraping my fingers up with its roughness.

-I swing out into absinthe-green skies.

“-!!”

The teapot runs beneath me, legs pumping until I’m  _ sure  _ they have to burst off their joints.

I skid across the metal, and sit flat on a grate.

“Ow. . .”

My cheeks must be  _ blazing. _

I dust my skirt of grit, and don’t mention a thing.

  
  


When I’m done, I look out-

I am in  **awe.**

“Oh my goodness…!!”

More chains connect platforms to each other.

More gears float in the skies-

Massive, red-windowed buildings hover unbothered in midair, one with a top hat, one turreted with alchemical symbols.

Forks and other strange objects decorate the hanging clock fixtures below.

I walk over to a conveniently-placed valve, and strain to crank it.

The pressure meter whooshes up to 100-

Another vent propels into view.

As does the grunting of a guard.

I can just see them hopping platforms-

They look like the canyon people, same armor, same weapons.

‘If this is the Hatter’s Domain, who are the Masters?’

-Unless this person’s just visiting.

‘Only one way to find out’.

I take the leap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End of Innocence.
> 
> This was fun, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> I really want ice cream.


End file.
